Disposable humidifier for cigarette packs



Dec. 30, 1952 HAGAN 2,623,781

DISPOSABLE HUMIDIFIER FOR CIGARETTE PACKS Filed March 21, 1951 BfiRNARDANTHONY HAG/W INVENTOR.

I BY Q I ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 30, 1952 DISPOSABLE HUMIDIFIER FOR CIGARETTE PACKS Bernard Anthony Hagan, Decatur, Ill.

Application March 21, 1951, Serial No. 216,837

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a disposable humidifier arrangement and more particularly to such a device for enclosure within the usual conventional cigarette pack.

An object of the present invention is to pro vide a disposable moisture dispensing unit which may be placed within the cigarette pack by the manufacturer at the factory, and which, when the pack is opened by the smoker, may then be suitably moistened for the purpose intended.

A further object is to provide a unit of this character capable of ready and easy placement in or removal from the open end of a pack of cigarettes, and too, it is an object to provide a unit of this type which can be produced at such an extremely low cost that its disposal after use remains a matter of little or no importance.

My invention consists in the provision of a humidifier unit that contrives to eliminate dried out tobacco in cigarette packs and to facilitate bringing out the full, rich flavor characteristics of the tobacco, known to be desirable in cigarette smoking.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully hereinafter from reference to the following description together with the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

It is to be understood, however, that the drawings do not define a limitation of the invention, but that reference to the appended claims should be had for that purpose.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the assembled unit;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal side elevational view;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in Figure 1, a fragment of one end removed to show the inner member;

Figure 4 is a full opened up plan View of the foldable cover member; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the moistener member.

In its preferred form my invention contemplates the provision of a moistener member of suitable material such as will readily absorb and retain water, namely, blotting paper, fabric, or the like, and which consists of a flat member having rounded corners, (see Figure 5). Enveloping this moistener member is a cover member of suitable flexible, moisture resistant material,

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preferably relatively thin waxed paper, plastic, or the like (see Figures 2 and 4). The cover member is of one piece formed in two identically shaped half-portions having rounded corners so arranged and shaped that when the cover member is folded across its center on the line A--A of Figure i, the then matched halves form an envelope covering both faces of the moistener member, (see Figures 2 and 3).

It is believed obvious that in adapting my invention to humidity a package of cigarettes, it is necessary only to open the end of the pack so that the ends of the covering extend straight outwardly of the pack, thus to facilitate easy insertion of the device, which is then placed in the end of the pack as hereinafter described, and the ends of the covering folded over in closed position enclosing the device,which may be left within the thus closed pack for whatever time may be required to suitably humidify the cigarettes. It will be apparent, too, that in preparing the present invention for use, the moistener member is impregnated with Water, either by immersion thereof, or by simply dipping a finger in water and dripping the water on the moistener member until sufficient moisture is absorbed by it to enable its use for the purpose intended.

One of the half-portions of the cover member is plain, that is, not perforated, while the other half-portion is perforated, having a series of spaced apart holes therethrough, each hole being located in register with the end of a cigarette in the conventional pack of 20 cigarettes, so that when the cover portion is folded as in assembly, the said holes, being in register with the center of the cigarettes, admit moisture thereto from the contained moistener member and do not permit direct contact of moisture with the paper casing of the individual cigarettes, thus insuring adequate moisture directly to the tobacco in each cigarette without discoloring the paper casing thereof.

In actual use of my invention it is arranged in assembly as shown in Figure 2, for example, with the moistener member Ill interposed between the two half-portions ll-A and -33 of the cover member H. The cigarette pack is then opened as usual at its top end, and the assembled unit is placed in the pack of cigarettes so that it lies fiat against the ends of the cigarettes, with the plain half-portion I l-A positioned upwardly of the unit to protect the wrapping of the cigarette pack from contact with any moisture, while the perforated half-portion H-B is positioned downwardly of the unit and in contact with the cigarette ends, thus to facilitate the direct feeding of the moisture from the moistener member l through the holes ii in the half-portion !!-B into the tobacco of each cigarette.

The particular form and shape of the cover member I l with respect to its provision for rounded corners in assembly, facilitates the easy insertion of the invention in the cigarette pack for humidifying its contents.

It will be seen in Figures 2 and 3 that the moistener member W is of somewhat smaller size than the half-portions H-A and I l-B of the cover member I l in assembly, thus avoiding contact between the exposed edges C, D and E of the moistener member It and the inner walls of the cigarette package.

The moistener member E0 in my improved disposable humidifier for cigarette packs is retained in exact required position within the cover member as shown in Figure 3 by means of the metal staple designated at H) in Figure 3.

I desire it to be understood that while the drawings reveal a reasonable degree of accuracy throughout the arrangement and proportion of the parts of the invention, the drawings are essentially schematic and not intended to limit the invention in any sense as to design, size, or proportion illustrated.

The scope of the invention may be determined from reference to the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a disposable humidifier for cigarette packs as herein described, the combination of an elongated rectangularly shaped flat moistener member of suitable moisture retaining material, a moisture resistant cover member of slightly greater width than the moistener member and of a length sufiicient to fold over one end and completely cover both faces of the moistener member, means for fixing the position of the moistener member within the cover member, a series of apertures in one portion of the cover member and spaced apart to register substantially centrally over the end of the cigarettes in the conventional pack of cigarettes to admit moisture from the moistener member to the tobacco in the cigarettes.

2. In a disposable humidifier for cigarette packs as herein described, the combination of a relatively thin, fiat, rectangularly shaped moistener member of suitable moisture retentive material, a flexible cover member of suitable moisture resistant material of. slightly greater width than the moistener member when assembled, said cover member formed in one piece slightly longer than twice, the length of the moistener member and adapted to be folded laterally and intermediate of its ends and to foldably engage one end of the moistener member, metal staple means for fixing the position of the moistener member within the cover member, a series of apertures in one portion of the cover member and spaced apart to register centrally over the end of the cigarettes in the conventional pack of cigarettes to admit moisture from the moistener member to the tobacco in the cigarettes, the cover member shaped to have a relatively small radius at each corner thereof when the device is assembled for use.

BERNARD ANTHONY HAGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,241,695 Alexander Oct. 2, 1917 1,871,418 McKee Aug. 9, .1932 2,227,158 Saul Dec. 31, 1940 

